


It's All Right

by Kristiania



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Drama, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-11-29 21:39:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11449563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kristiania/pseuds/Kristiania
Summary: The corners of her lips flinched, she said quickly:“Good bye, Father”.And she walked away down the corridor, faster and faster, almost turning into a run.





	It's All Right

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Всё хорошо](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11199546) by [Kristiania](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kristiania/pseuds/Kristiania). 



> This is an alternate ending of the episode 6.06 "Sacrifice of Angels".
> 
> Many thanks to Alina Gordelli and Peter Lydyard for their invaluable help with the translation.

“You’re all I have", he murmured, pressing his forehead tightly to hers. "All I care about”.  
All the burden he had carried on his shoulders for the past few hours had suddenly lifted. The Dominion fleet couldn’t break through the wormhole – so what? There would be a new fleet and they would surely recapture the station very soon, they’ll find a way… Ziyal was here, with him – this was all that mattered. And they will fly home together.  
“Home", Dukat said aloud, "let’s go home, Ziyal. We need to hurry”.  
She drew back, looking into his eyes with a kind of sad tenderness.  
“Home?”  
“Yes",- he gently touched her soft black hair, "to Cardassia. We’ll discuss everything on the way”.  
Her slender shoulders sank, she stepped back once again.  
“I won’t come back to Cardassia, Father. I’ll stay here”.  
“Here?" he repeated, puzzled. "Our enemies will be here at any moment. You can’t stay”.  
She shook her head – his little Ziyal, grown up so suddenly, so unexpectedly.  
“They are not my enemies. I need to be with them… cause I’m one of them”.  
Dukat scowled, trying to hold back his annoyance. Doesn’t she realize there is no time for ideological discussions now?  
“Ziyal, you don’t understand…”  
She squeezed his wrist:  
“Father, I must tell you. It was I who helped Major Kira and others to escape”.  
Stunned, he stood still, as if trapped by the paralyzing force field – unable to move, unable to say anything. Ziyal withdrew into the depths of the corridor, keeping her eyes on his face.  
“It is not true”, he muttered at last.  
Not true. His daughter couldn’t betray him. The only one who truly cherished him – she couldn’t stab him in the back.  
“Do you really know, Ziyal, what you are saying?”  
She bowed her head, not even trying to justify herself.  
“I do know, Father. And I am staying”.  
The corners of her lips flinched, she said quickly:  
“Good bye, Father”.  
And she walked away down the corridor, faster and faster, almost turning into a run. He watched her go, still stunned. His pulse pounded heavily in his veins.  
“If I can’t be with you, Father, I’d rather die”. Wasn’t it she who had said it? He remembered her voice, so childish in that cave on Dozaria. And he couldn’t move just like now, looking at her pale little face…  
Ziyal – there, now, not from his memories – stopped and turned back. She tried to smile with her disobeying lips:  
“I love you”.  
And he rushed forward, to her – he must hug her, hold her tightly and not let her go, and to hell with those Federates and their ships…  
There was a barely audible rustle – Dukat wouldn’t even have noticed it if his senses weren’t so heightened, if he didn’t turn into a coiled spring from his occipital ridge to toe. He turned around, shielding his daughter, reaching for the disraptor – but a pale yellow flash blinded him, an excruciating sharp pain stabbed under his ribs.  
“No!”  
It was Ziyal shouting. The one who made a shot also cried out – he ran to Dukat, who was sliding down to the floor, trying in vain to remain on his feet.  
His chest was burning, everything inside him was churning in attempts to breathe. Damar’s grey face blurred in front of Dukat’s eyes.  
“No, Gul, no…" Damar mumbled, the disraptor twitching in his hands. "Not you…”  
“Her", Dukat gasped. "You aimed at her, didn’t you? Get out of my sight”.  
Ziyal kneeled down, tears streaming down the ridges covering her pale cheekbones.  
“Father, hold on, please. I’ve called for help. The doctors are coming”.  
He made himself smile with difficulty. His fingers found Ziyal’s palm and squeezed fitfully:  
“It’s all right, Ziyal. It’s all right. Don’t cry. The daughter of Cardassia must not cry”.  
“I’m not a…”  
He raised his palm in protestation:  
“You are my daughter. So you are a daughter of Cardassia. Do not forget it”.  
“She’s a traitor", Damar said dully. "I wanted to punish…”  
“Whom did you want to punish, targ’s noggin?”  
The ceiling above his head was fading. Dukat was still trying desperately to concentrate his gaze on his daughter’s face.  
“To punish me? So you did… Don’t listen to him, Ziyal. I forgive you. It’s all right”.  
Thin fingers still tightly grasped his hand.  
“Father, please!”  
“Terok Nor", Dukat muttered, "the Federation, the Alpha Quadrant… everything was within our grasp… Naprem… she always laughed and said I had too large ambitions…But I’ll be back…”  
Grayish clouds of Cardassia were blurring his eyes.  
“Father!”  
“Ziyal", he exhaled. "I’m holding on, Ziyal. I am. Just don’t run away from me”.

Rubbing his forehead tiredly, Doctor Bashir turned to the girl.  
“If not for the chest armour, there would be nothing to talk about. He’s in coma, Ziyal, I can’t make any prognosis yet. The lesions in his internal organs are extensive – but there have been cases of recovery from even more serious injuries”.  
Ziyal bowed her head.  
“Thank you, doctor. What will happen to him when he wakes up?”  
“Do you mean his further treatment?”  
“No. I want to know if he is free to go to Cardassia”.  
“I’m afraid he isn’t", Bashir said softly. "I’m not a lawyer, I don’t deal with such matters – perhaps you’d better ask someone like Garak – but I think he will be brought to trial. He led the Dominion forces, after all. Gul Damar didn’t have such a significant role in the war, but he was detained nevertheless".  
“I understand", Ziyal responded quietly. "May I sit with him?”  
“Yes, but not for too long. And don’t forget to visit major Kira after: she wants to see you”.  
“Sure”.  
Bashir walked out of the hospital ward with his soft feline gait and Ziyal leaned down. She touched her father’s calm palm lightly.  
“You heard it, didn’t you?" Ziyal whispered. "Do not worry! Please just get well soon. You know, it’s not first time I will be arranging an escape”.


End file.
